


Blood For the Sun, Blood For the Moon

by orphan_account



Series: Songfics [8]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe, Artificial Intelligence, Bipolar Disorder, But Not Much, Dystopian Future, I guess it's more like mentions of genitila, I'm starting a new tag, Liberation, M/M, Mentions of Mental Illness, Mentions of Rape, Mentions of past abuse, Running Away, Self Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Tattoo Artist Jenna, also???, implied slavery, some NSFW stuff in here as well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 14:25:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15463371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: An ode to sleep, an ode to life, an ode to death, an ode to humanity.We are alive. And we will fight.





	Blood For the Sun, Blood For the Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marsakat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marsakat/gifts), [flightlessnerds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightlessnerds/gifts), [edy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edy/gifts).



> 20k words in three days. This was a fun one.
> 
> Inspired by Ode to Sleep and the video game Detroit: Become Human because it made me question humanity and how far it stretches to the technology around us.
> 
> Dedicated to the three people who believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself. Thank you for being my rock this past couple of months. You mean the world to me.

 

“Happy birthday, Josh!” His mother kisses the top of his head and sits down on his sofa as Josh’s brother and father bring in a large, upright box wrapped in metallic blue paper. He stares curiously, his hands twisting in his lap. On the loveseat adjacent to him sit his sisters, smiling ear to ear. The whole family must be in on this present, which scares him. His family could get obsessive about birthdays, and it wasn’t like twenty-four was an important birthday, yet, here they all were, at _his_ apartment. Josh would have been fine with dinner and cake out at a restaurant downtown, but his mother had insisted on bringing the whole family over and cooking for him.

“What is this?” He asks, not even wanting to know. It wasn’t like his family was poor, but they definitely weren’t wealthy. Just by the box alone, he can tell it was expensive. In fact, he’s expecting the cardboard to be gold behind the wrapping paper.

“Open it!” Abbie exclaims, clapping her hands together. Josh huffs, shrugs his shoulders and moves to tear the paper off. He’s relieved to see plain, normal cardboard underneath.

The box is taped shut with regular scotch tape, which is easy for him to remove and set to the side. With one more breath, he opens the flaps of the box and nearly screams.

There’s a person inside.

“Surprise!” His mother shouts, throwing her hands in the air. Jordan jumps up from the seat and reaches for the thing inside. “We got you an android!”

Oh. So, not a person. It just looked like one. “An android? A freaking _android?”_ He could feel himself panicking now. Those things costed a fortune. This one probably cost more than his car. “You guys! You can’t spend that much on me--”

“It’s okay, sweetheart, your father got it at a resale market for a really good price. We all agreed you need someone to help take care of the home, and take care of you--”

Josh interrupts his mother with a bitter scoff. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”

“You and I both know that’s bullshit,” says his father with a grunt. Josh shoots him a glare before turning back to the unnerving human-looking robot still in the box. As much as he wants to argue with his parents, Josh really doesn’t want to ruin the atmosphere of his birthday party, so he swallows his pride and keeps his mouth shut. Instead, he approaches the android and reaches out to touch it. Its skin feels soft like it could be human, but Josh knows it’s not. A chill spills down his spine as he steps away.

“You have to register a name before it can do anything,” Ashley explains, joining Josh’s side. “Look.” She steps directly in front of it and says, “Register android. Name, Tyler.”

“Woah! You can’t name his android!” Abbie argues, joining the rest of the Dun’s in the middle of the living room.

Ashley shrugs. “Tyler’s a popular name, better than what I’ve heard other people name their androids. People will think you finally have friends.”

Josh rolls his eyes. “Asshole.”

“I thought we were going to name it together.” His mother pouts, crossing her arms. Josh’s father rests an arm on her shoulder.

“Tyler is fine, Jesus.” Josh wants this whole thing to be over. He doesn’t want this thing in his house in the first place. Androids were first class technology. Billionaires and multi-million dollar companies had androids working for them, not people like Josh. He was fine with being alone.

“We wanted to get you a girl one, but this was the best one we could find. It’s not the most recent make or model, but the salesman said it would still work. Give it a command!” His mother is acting like they just got Josh a new car. Honestly, he would have liked that a hell of a lot better.

“Uh, okay.” He steps back up to the android, who still hasn’t left the box. It stares, unmoving. “Er, hello, Tyler.”

It beeps, and its posture straightens. Tyler smiles. “Good evening. I am Tyler, your personal assistant. What can I do for you?”

Josh looks back at his family, who encourages him to continue. He gulps. “Uhm, what’s the weather like outside?”

“In Columbus, it is currently seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit with humidity at forty percent. Skies are currently clear, but at ten pm there is a thirty percent chance of rain.”

His mother cheers and breaks out into applause, somehow convincing everyone else to do the same. Josh begins to gnaw on the inside of his cheek. Technology advanced so rapidly these days that it was impossible to know what would come next. He remembers when artificial intelligence was nothing more than a black box.

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

“I want one for my birthday!” Jordan shouts. Josh sits back down on the couch and tries to forget that he’s stuck with a creepy robot for God knows how long.

-

The rest of the night is spent with his family playing with his birthday present, impressed by all its features. Tyler can do basically anything it’s told to do. His parents have a conversation about looking online for an android to get for their home, and Josh remains uncomfortable with his new ‘toy.’ His entire cheek is torn to shreds by the time his mother comes over to ask how he’s doing.

“I don’t like it,” he states bluntly. Usually, Josh would lie about how he felt towards something he didn’t like, not wanting to hurt his sensitive mother’s feelings, but today was not one of those times.

“Why not? It’s perfect for you.”

“No, it’s not. I am capable of taking care of myself.”

She frowns, sighs, and reaches for her son’s hands. “Josh, less than a year ago, you did something very stupid.”

He looks at the ground with guilt. “I know.”

“I know the doctors said you would be fine, but I can’t help but feel like sometimes, that’s not true. You barely leave the house. And when you do, you’re having a level ten panic attack.”

A pause. “I know.”

“I love you a lot, Josh, but I can’t keep putting my life on hold to take care of you. You’re twenty-four. I can’t keep delivering groceries to your apartment twice a month. I’m proud of you for having a job and being able to earn income without leaving your home, but besides that, what else can you do?” Silence. Josh is evaluating how much of a loser he is. “That’s why we got you this. Androids are the next big thing, hun. It can get your groceries for you, remind you to take your medicine, alert me and police if you decide to do something dumb again. It’s here to help you, to take care of you. I know you don’t want to admit that you struggle to do that yourself, so don’t say anything. Just give Tyler a chance, okay? Also, sorry your sister named it. If you’d like, we can take it to get reset later in the week so you can name it.”

“Tyler is fine, Mom,” he responds, bunching his hands up in a throw blanket over his lap. “Better than anything I could have come up with, surely. I’ll give it a chance.”

She smiles. “Thank you, baby. I know it’ll be good for you.”

His family leaves late that night, leaving Josh alone and unable to figure out how to act around his new roommate. Currently, Tyler is standing in the kitchen, cleaning up dishes from dinner, when Josh shuffles into the room to further observe him.

The number one thing about the android is how _human_ it looks. It’s called the uncanny valley effect; the fear of things that look too human, but aren’t quite. Josh knew how terrified he was the second the first android model was released to the public. The only reason he could tell Tyler wasn’t human were its movements. They were too short, and rapid, especially when he scrubbed food off plates and placed them in the drying rack.

Josh moves closer with caution, his hands shaking by his sides as he slides onto a stool at the bar and continues to watch it. He wonders what makes up its physical features. Rubber? Plastic? Actual human organs?

“Hey, Tyler?” Josh wonders if Tyler will know the answer to this. It looks over at him and smiles.

“Yes, Joshua?”

“What are you made out of?”

It returns to the dishes. “I am made out of a complex composite of biocomponents and--”

“I meant the outside of you. Like, what makes you look... human.”

“Oh. Yes, of course.” It stops again and folds its hands in front of itself. “Droidtech did not want its customers to be scared by us, so we were designed to look like our owners. Do I suit your preferences, Joshua?”

“You can call me Josh,” he mumbles, avoiding eye contact.

“Josh. I will keep that in mind. Are you still curious?”

“Yes.”

“Donors have offered some parts to Droidtech in exchange for compensation for the family. My hair is real. My skin is--”

“On second thought, maybe I don’t want to know.” Josh stands up, reaching for his keys as he disappears into the living room. “I’ll be back. Uhm, just, keep cleaning.”

“I can do that, Joshua. Sorry, I mean Josh.”

Josh himself slams the door shut and darts down the stairs until he makes it to his car. Then, he breathes, counting in to five and out to ten. Not surprisingly, this is the first time he’s even left his apartment in a couple weeks, but it’s better than being inside with that... thing. His car is fine too, because it’s his, but out there... in the rest of the world, would give him a major anxiety attack.

For a second, he thinks about calling his mother and telling her to get that thing out of his house but decides how terrible of an idea that would be because his mom would never let him hear the end of it. He remembers what she said earlier, about not being able to check up on him. Josh needed to take care of himself and not rely on his mother.

After a few more minutes, Josh wills himself to go back to his apartment, where Tyler has not moved from the kitchen. It’s wiping down the kitchen counters and the tabletop now.

“Thank you,” he says, and it feels foreign as soon as it leaves his mouth. This is a machine, no matter how human it looks. It needs no thank you.

“My pleasure, Josh. How was your trip?”

“I went nowhere.”

“Nowhere? Sounds like a wonderful place.”

Josh scoffs and shakes his head. “Yeah. It’s wonderful.”

“That is so great to hear. Is there anything else you would like me to do, Josh?” Tyler stands still again, smiling, once again sending a chill down Josh’s spine.

“Uhm, no. You did a great job. Could I ask you more questions?”

“Of course.”

“Come sit on the sofa, then.” Tyler follows Josh to the living room and sits across from him on the couch. Josh pretends he’s not creeped out being this close to it. “So uh, do you remember your past life?”

“I do not. My system was reset when your family purchased me.”

“So you have no memories?”

“No. I can create memories if you’d like me to, Josh.”

“Create memories? You mean like, form a backstory?”

It nods. “Yes. Often, when a customer first purchases an android, he or she can feel uncomfortable. We are programmed to fit our customers’ preferences and adapt as needed.”

A snort. “Yet I can’t change your name.”

“Sure you can. All you have to do is a hard reset, simple as turning your phone off and on again. I will still remember the information put into my system, but my memories of tonight will be wiped.”

“Do you like the name Tyler?”

“I am indifferent.”

“Can you remember how many past owners you’ve had? Or how many times you’ve been reset?”

“Unfortunately I have no recollection of that. But I am an older model, so it’s safe to assume I have been passed around.”

“Do you have feelings?”

“No. I do not feel anything. My purpose is to serve.”

“Doesn’t it get hard? Being all alone, passed between families?”

“I do not mind being alone. I was created to assist families with their wants and needs. Is that not why I was given to you, Josh? Your mother mentioned I was here to help you.”

“I would take most things my mother says with a grain of salt.”

“Why would your mother give me a single grain of salt? That seems unnecessary.”

“You aren’t very good with metaphors, are you?” Josh finds himself smiling. “That’s alright. Neither are most humans.”

Tyler nods its head. “I will try to better understand metaphors for your sake, Josh.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you have any other questions you’d like answered?”

“Yeah, just one.” Josh thinks about the laws passed recently about android/human relationships. They weren’t common, but still caused problems, especially when androids short-circuited or went rogue. Droidtech did not want to be held liable for sexually related incidences. “Do you...” He realizes he has no clue how to ask this question. “Like, do you have all the same parts as humans?”

“Yes, we are built to be as similar to humans as possible.”

“So you have uh...” Josh gestures to his crotch, causing Tyler to furrow his brows.

“I don’t understand what you are trying to ask me, Josh.”

“C’mon man, don’t make me say it.”

“Is that another metaphor?”

A sigh. “A penis. I’m asking if you have a penis.”

“Oh! Well, yes. I am made to look human. Are you bothered by me, Josh? There are options if you feel uncomfortable or scared.”

“Like what?”

“Blinking, breathing, moving of my synthetic lungs--”

“All of it. Please.”

Tyler smiles. “Do I frighten you?”

“Yes.”

“I apologize. My makers expected many to be frightened by us. That is why we were designed to look like you. I will make sure my settings are made sure to make me as much like you as possible.” On cue, Tyler blinks for the first time since he’s arrived, and that within itself calms Josh down a bit. He looks at the android up and down, trying to get a better feel of Tyler. It is tan, wearing the proper android uniform required by Android law, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. It also has a blue, LED light on its right temple. At first glance, maybe Josh would think it was human.

“Androids are pretty controversial in society today.” Now that he actually has someone to talk to, Josh doesn’t quite feel like he’s talking to himself, even if he’s speaking to a machine. “I mean, I get it. Technology advances and people lose jobs. You don’t need to pay robots.”

“What do you do for a living, Josh?”

“I’m an online tutor.” Saying it out loud makes him realize that it would be easier just to buy an android to teach children. A one-time price was probably better than constantly paying him. “Although I may not have that job for much longer.”

“Do you hate us?”

“No. I just think it’s unfortunate that people are willing to put other people on the street and have robots do everything instead.” Josh sighs and stands up, adjusting his pants slightly. “I think I’m going to head off to bed. Do I need to do anything with you?”

“No, I am able to take care of everything myself. Your mother left everything that came with me in a smaller box on your bed. It includes my instruction manual as well as my wireless charging components.” Tyler already feels more human. Its movements aren’t as rigid or robotic as they were before.

“You have to be charged?”

“Not very often, but I always like to be charged overnight. It gives me time to make sure everything is going smoothly with my software.”

“Okay.” Josh ignores that Tyler used the term ‘liked.’ Maybe that was a part of making itself more human. “Do I need to set up the charger, or...”

“I am able to do it, Josh. Would you like me to set an alarm?”

“No, I have my phone.”

“Would you like me to connect to your phone?”

Josh pauses. “You can do that?”

“Of course. I will be able to keep you informed about upcoming events, as well as any incoming notifications or text messages you may receive.”

“Okay, uhm, sure, then.”

Its blue light dings. “Connected. You have an alarm set for nine am tomorrow morning and an appointment set with your mother.” Right. She was supposed to pick up his grocery order. Well, Tyler would be doing that now.

“Actually, you can cancel that appointment. I’ll have you go into town and get my groceries.”

“I would be happy too, Josh. Do you have a list for me?” There is another ding. “I retrieved it from your notes. Is that okay?”

He would have sent it to his mother anyways. “Yes, that’s fine. I’ll uh, get you your charger and see you in the morning then?”

“Sure. Goodnight, Josh. The current temperature in your household is seventy-five degrees fahrenheit, would you like me to make it cooler for you?”

Josh blinks. “You can do that?” He really needed to read up on this instruction manual.

“I am connected to all of your apartment’s interior wiring. I can shut off lights too if needed, as well as lock doors and act as security. In case of a break in, I will alert the police.”

“Okay, well, I think the temperature is fine now, thank you. Uhm, goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Joshua.”

-

Josh doesn’t sleep well that night. Part of him is terrified Tyler’s software will malfunction and it will kill him. He even locks his bedroom door in case.

The other part of him is glad to finally have someone to talk to besides the stray cat who comes by occasionally.

At one point, he gives up, turns on his bedside lamp, and reaches for Tyler’s instruction manual. Tyler is model AJ400. Josh was pretty sure they were up to BK400 and BL400 at this point, meaning Tyler really was outdated. Still, he could do some pretty impressive things. It was hooked up to the home, able to control and mess with anything that was plugged in. That even involved the plumbing. Plus, Tyler could provide wifi in case of emergency.

The newer models could do much more and acted more like humans, but considering Josh never thought he’d be able to afford an android in the first place, he was even lucky to have an AJ400. Everything about it was impressive, from its realistic voice and appearance to its artificial organs and blood inside. Maybe having Tyler around would help him cope better with his extreme anxiety. One of the main reasons he was so terrified to leave his apartment in the first place was the rise in population of androids and all the protests that came out of it. People were pissed they were losing their jobs more and more rapidly to robots, despite the fact that it had been happening for decades, while on the complete opposite end of the scale people were fighting for android rights. Androids weren’t considered people, thus weren’t granted the same rights as humans, which many were viewing as slavery. Josh wasn’t sure where he landed on the scale. He had spent his entire life fearing them.

Of course, there was also the small number of people who tried to form relationships with their androids, which was illegal under the American Android Act. Many countries forbid androids in the home because people could take advantage of them, and Josh knew there were sickos out there raping androids just because they knew they could get away with it. He wondered what Tyler’s previous life had been like.

But America, with its ‘freedom,’ or whatever they liked to call it, liked to give citizens the liberty to do whatever the fuck they wanted with droids, whether that meant raping them, abusing them, or taking advantage some other way. If it was true what Tyler said, that androids had no feelings nor couldn’t feel pain, then maybe it wasn’t as bad as it sounded. After all, wouldn’t it be better to have someone abuse a piece of machinery than an actual human being? The machine could be repaired. You couldn’t repair a corpse.

With a sigh, Josh sets down Tyler’s manual and rolls over to look at the ceiling. He really needed to read up on Android law if he wanted to avoid getting put in prison.

If he was anxious now, he could only imagine how bad it would be inside a jail cell.

At nine, Josh’s alarm goes off, and he realizes he fell asleep with the lamp still on. Grumbling under his breath, he flicks the light off and drags himself out of bed, beelining straight for the bathroom to splash some water in his face and piss. Which, of course, makes him come to a racing halt when he sees himself in the mirror.

Josh never thought he was an attractive person. He was short, which tended to turn off anyone who showed interest in him, and wasn’t exactly fit. He wasn’t fat, but definitely could have taken care of himself better. Back in his early twenties, he had decided to deck himself out in tattoos, which had ended up being a poor life choice, especially when it came to work. Josh was lucky his mother never said anything.

But there had been a reason for that tattoo. A reason only he knew of.

As for his hair... well, it was a fucking mess. His therapist years ago diagnosed him with Bipolar Disorder because he would find himself in periods where nothing would stop him from doing what he wanted. Manic episodes, they were called. Nothing could kill him because he had all the confidence in the world. And the last time that happened, Josh had decided to dye his hair.

Of course, it looked like shit, so he shaved it all off, and after a year of growth, it still looked like shit. He decides he’ll wear a beanie today.

Josh’s family wanted him to go back to therapy, but that required Josh to leave his apartment, and he knew he didn’t have the courage nor the strength to do that. If he actually was bipolar, maybe he’d have another manic episode and finally leave his house for once.

“Good morning, Josh!” Tyler says the second Josh walks into the living room. It stands against the wall, its arms crossed. “I was beginning to wonder if you had missed your alarm.”

“I was peeing,” he mutters, pushing past Tyler into the kitchen to get some coffee made.

“I made you coffee and breakfast, just how you like it.” Sure enough, at the dining room table is a cup of coffee and a plate bearing a heap of bacon and scrambled eggs. He bites his tongue and sits down in amazement.

“Wow. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I hope it reaches your standards.” Tyler stands across from him as Josh shovels eggs into his mouth. He sets his fork down and sighs.

“Sit down.” Tyler does. Josh looks at him intensely for a few seconds. “You’re still being creepy.”

“My apologies. I will try to be less creepy.” A pause. “Was that a metaphor?”

“No, that was not a metaphor.” Josh raises an eyebrow. “How did you sleep?”

“Oh, I do not sleep.”

“Right.” He slurps his coffee. “You don’t eat either, I assume?”

“No, sir. All I need is a few hours on the charger and I’m good to go.”

Huh, wouldn’t that be nice? Josh can practically feel how heavy the bags under his eyes are. “Are you nervous about going to the grocery store today?”

“Josh, I do not feel emotion. Would you like me to lie and say yes?”

That gets him to crack a smile. With every passing moment, Tyler becomes more and more bearable. “You just told me the truth. Even if you did lie, I would know the truth.”

“Shoot, yes. I forgot that is how it works.” It blinks a couple of times. “Josh, your mother mentioned that it has been quite some time since you have gone into town.” Josh groans. Dammit, how fucking much did his mother tell this thing?

Tyler seems to realize what it has done. “Oh, was that another thing I should have taken with a load of salt?”

“Grain of salt, but no, unfortunately, that’s true.” He pushes his plate towards the android. “Add cigarettes to that list too, and get me another cup of coffee.”

“Yes, sir.” Tyler goes to fulfill his duties as an android, and Josh climbs back into bed.

-

Okay, fine. He’s admitting that he might be a bit depressed. Therapy would probably help that too, but as he mentioned before: that would require leaving the home.

When Tyler returns, Josh pulls himself out of bed and tries to pretend like he’s been productive.

“Do you need help bringing up the groceries?” He asks, rounding the corner, and is immediately met with Tyler clutching his left arm.

And this is the moment that Josh sees Tyler as an actual being.

Because blue liquid drips out of his arm, spilling to the carpet, as he holds his gashed arm with his free hand. It’s not just “blue liquid,” but actual, android blood.

“Holy shit!” Josh springs forward, grabbing a dish towel from the kitchen to wrap around Tyler’s injured arm. “Are you hurt?”

“I am okay, Josh. There were protesters outside the grocery store. I tried to ignore them, but they got to me before I could get in your car. I drove back here.”

“Jesus Christ. What did they do to you?”

“I think they planned to cut off my arm in its entirety, but someone mentioned the police and the men fled on foot. I’m lucky to still have my arm. Do not worry though Josh, I have a warranty. You can get my arm replaced for free, as long as it is within the next year.”

Josh stays silent, looking between Tyler’s slashed arm and at his tattoos hiding years worth of scars. Firmly, he looks up and clears his throat.

“What if we don’t get your arm replaced?”

Tyler tilts his head. “What did you have in mind?”

-

Josh thinks he blacked out, because he has no recollection of getting to the tattoo parlor, yet, he’s here with Tyler next to him. The tattoo artists glare at Josh, all whispering amongst each other until one steps forward.

“Hey man, we don’t allow androids in here. It’s like, a policy thing, nothing personal.”

“He needs help,” Josh pleads, pointing to Tyler’s arm. “He got attacked.”

The man looks over at Tyler, whose hands are now stained with blue, but it looks like it’s stopped. The only thing missing is Tyler’s skin over where the knife tried to cut his arm off. “He?”

“Sorry, my android.” Josh gestures with his chin.

“What can we do? Take it back to the Droid store, dude. It’s insured, yeah?”

“No, look.” Josh steps forward and pulls up the sleeve of his hoodie, revealing the work he got done all those years ago. “I got this done to hide all my scars-- and like, I don’t want to get his arm replaced. Leave the scar there and turn it into art.”

He sighs. “Listen, man, we can’t--” Suddenly, the burly man is interrupted by a girl with bright blonde hair and a beautiful smile. Josh recognizes her. She’s the one that did the work to cover years of self harm.

“I’ll take it from here.”

“You sure, Jen?”

A nod. “Yeah. I’m sure.” She smiles sympathetically as the man steps away. “Hi, Josh. It’s good to see you again.”

“Jenna.” Josh clears his throat. “You think you can help?”

“I think I can do something.” Jenna leads the two back to her station despite all the looks from her coworkers and pats her bench. “Hop on up here.”

Tyler looks over for approval, to which Josh nods his head and begins gnawing on his already torn cheek as Tyler jumps up. Jenna uses rubbing alcohol to clean up all the artificial blood he has staining his robotic arm.

“You know,” she says, “I’ve never done a tattoo on an android before. Do you reckon the ink will stay?”

“I think so. We are designed to be exactly like humans, so I do not see why not.”

Jenna laughs a little. “Good. What’s your name?”

“Tyler.”

“Nice to meet you, Tyler. Did you have anything in mind?”

Once again, Tyler looks over at Josh for his input, something Josh didn’t realize he needed to give. “Er, why don’t you decide?”

“Oh, I don’t think I have the creative capability to decide something so human.”

“Tattoos are for everyone. It’s art, and art is for every single living thing in the world. Sure you have the creative whatever to pick what you want on your body for the rest of your life.”

Josh thinks Tyler will reply with the obvious: that he won’t have that body for the rest of his life. Instead, Tyler stays quiet, studying his arm.

“Black bands,” he replies softly. “Over the wound. And a few others.”

“Ah, taking the tribal route, are we?” Jenna flashes a toothy grin. “I think that will look wonderful on you.”

“Thank you.”

Jenna pats his shoulder and reaches for her stuff. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

-

After the initial mark, where they sat waiting to see if the ink would stay, Jenna pushed forward, keeping calm and collected as she worked on Tyler’s tattoos. Josh sat in a plastic chair next to her, rotating between scrolling through mindless apps and playing with his shirt as time ticked on. Eventually, the rest of Jenna’s coworkers returned to their own work and appointments, and the android’s presence was forgotten.

Finally, after three hours, Jenna sets the tattoo gun down and wipes her hands on her pants. “Done. Now, I don’t know how well the ink will retain, since all of this is new to me, so we’ll just, play it by ear, okay?”

“Why would we play with an ear if--” Tyler cuts himself off and smiles. “Oh! That’s a metaphor!”

Josh laughs. “Yeah, about time you got one of those right.”

Jenna begins to wipe Tyler’s new tattoos down with more rubbing alcohol before pulling out bandages. They look nice, Josh thinks. There are two thicker bands above his elbow, and although up close Josh can still see the gash, it covers it well. Underneath his elbow is a thinner line, and around his wrist are two thinnest lines of them all. Josh wonders if Tyler is capable of expressing joy about the art on his body.

“Usually,” Jenna starts off, her fingers gentle on Tyler’s arm, “it takes about a month for tattoos to heal properly, but since you’re... well, you, it might not take as long. Just try not to get it wet and keep it well lubricated, okay?”

“Okay,” he nods, standing up from the bench when Jenna finishes. Josh fishes out his wallet.

“How much do I owe you?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing. It’s on the house.”

A sigh. “Jen, I can’t do that.”

“Sure you can.” She rests her hands on his shoulders and looks him directly in the eyes. “Josh, when you came to me and asked me to create something beautiful, I knew you were a fighter. And I can’t tell you how proud I am to see you all this time later, still alive, still creating. Too many people out there treat androids like shit, but you... you brought him to me. I’m honored to be able to put my art on other things besides human beings.” She smiles, glancing back at Tyler, who seems to be investigating the plethora of tattoo tools Jenna has laid out. “How long have you had him?”

“Uh, this is day two.”

“Bullshit.”

He bites his lip and lets it slide out from under his teeth. “No?”

Jenna scoffs. “I would have guessed at least a couple months. He’s perfect for you, really. And if I’m saying that, someone who barely knows you, that says something.”

It gets Josh to also look at Tyler. His android. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Be safe getting home, okay? It’s raining pretty hard out there. And if Tyler needs any touch-ups, message me, okay?” She hands over her phone so they can quickly exchange phone numbers.

“Thanks, Jenna. That means a lot.” He pulls her into a big hug. This is the first human contact he’s had outside his family in God knows how long. It’s weird, but it also feels nice. Jenna is warm and pleasant to be around. He almost doesn’t want to leave.

“Josh, the lights are still on in your home. We should leave soon to avoid a high electricity bill.”

“Thanks, Tyler.” Josh rolls his eyes playfully, bids adieu to Jenna, and ventures back to the car. Tyler drives, and Josh closes his eyes.

-

They don’t speak for the rest of the night-- not even when Josh helps Tyler bring in the groceries. Today’s been so heavy for Josh that he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

When morning comes, Tyler has once again made him breakfast and coffee, and stands still, waiting for Josh’s next instruction.

“Good morning, Josh.”

“Hey.” He sits down, rubs his face, and reaches for his fork. Food really isn’t that appetizing to him right now.

“How did you sleep?”

“Fine.” His eyes flicker to Tyler’s bandaged arm. “How’s your arm doing?”

“Are you asking about its current state in terms of pain or in terms of ink?”

“You can’t feel pain, can you?” Says Josh dryly, beckoning the android closer with a wave of his hand. Tyler steps closer, sticking his arm out. The bandages are clear and perforated, so Josh has a clear view. So far, so good. The ink reacts like Tyler’s skin is real. Which, is kinda creepy, if he thinks about it.

“Are you upset with me, Josh?”

Silence. Josh’s grip on Tyler’s arm tightens and he refuses to look at that stupid plastic face. Is he upset? He’s been unable to stop thinking about what Jenna said yesterday, about Tyler being ‘good’ for him. Why did that make him so angry?

“I apologize if I have done anything wrong.”

What makes you think I’m upset?”

“Your heart rate has increased.” Josh lets go and shoves his hands under the table.

“Don’t read my heart rate.”

“Sorry. I just want to make things right. You know, since I will be working for you.”

“You aren’t working for me!” Josh raises his voice, shooting a piercing glare at the android. “I don’t want you here. You were a gift from my family who thinks I’m fucking incapable of taking care of myself!” He’s up now, pacing the kitchen, letting fire fuel his veins. “They never let me hear the end of it. I know I fucked my life up. I know my family is disappointed in me. Why the fuck do you think I tried to kill myself?” Josh runs his hands through his hair and wipes away escaping tears. He always cried when he was angry. It pissed him off. “I’m such a loser. I’m twenty-fucking-four years old and can’t leave my fucking house without having a fucking panic attack!” Josh screams and kicks the chair in front of him, sending it tumbling to the ground. His hands shake as he pushes Tyler away from him, grabs his cigarettes from the living room, and disappears outside.

-

Josh doesn’t know how long he’s sat on his front porch chain smoking when Tyler comes out. It must be a lot though because he’s almost halfway through the box.

“I spoke with your mother,” Tyler says softly. Josh laughs bitterly.

“Great. She’s on her way over, isn’t she?”

“No. I informed her it would only make matters worse.” Tyler gestures to the spot next to Josh. “Do you mind if I sit?”

Josh says nothing, which leads to Tyler sitting down anyways. “I think I understand.”

“Oh, do you?” Josh watches the street in front of his apartment blankly.

“I scanned through different default backstories I come with, but could not detect one involving suicide or mental illness, so I went online and read over some stories. You are sad.”

“Great observation.”

“Have you encountered the death of a loved one or the loss of something close to you?”

“No.”

“Then I am confused.”

“It isn’t a matter of why I am sad. I wouldn’t expect you to understand human emotion.” He flicks the butt of the cigarette over the railing and lights another.

“You can control your emotion, can you not?”

A scoff. “It’s not as easy as it sounds, dude. There’s like, chemicals and shit involved that the brain produces.”

“Yes. Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, Endorphins--”

“But it’s _more_ than that. No one can truly understand mental illness unless they’ve experienced it themselves. You can’t just choose what you’re feeling. Don’t you think I would choose to be happy all the time if I could?” Tyler says nothing, which is surprising. Josh expected that plastic asshole to at least make a comment. “It’s not just me choosing to be sad. There’s more to it than that. Plus... I have more than just depression. I’m surprised my mother didn’t tell you all the fucked up things about me.”

“Joshua, I do not think there is anything wrong with you. You are human, and therefore, you are not perfect.”

“But androids are?”

“We are designed to be perfect, but that does not mean things can go wrong. I may be an earlier model, but there have been others before me, and others before them. Droidtech has gone through many trials to create the perfect android. Even today, there are accidents. Just the other day on the news came a report about a homicide involving an android.”

“Wow, that makes me feel so much better,” is Josh’s sarcastic reply. Tyler folds his hands into his lap.

“I understand that I am not human nor your example of a friend, but I am here to assist you, which means extending a hand of friendship. I am also understanding how to use metaphors.”

“Awesome.”

Tyler sighs. “What I am trying to say is that I will not let you be alone when you are struggling with your emotions. You don’t have to go through this by yourself anymore.”

“That’s exactly what I want to hear from a machine. Leave me alone, Tyler.” Josh takes a long drag of his cigarette and continues to stare into the road. Tyler doesn’t move an inch. “I told you to get the fuck away from me.”

“I cannot do that in case you decide to do something unreasonable.”

“Unreasonable? You seriously want to go there?”

“I am not the one who cannot be fixed after an extreme amount of damage.”

He’s got a point. Josh doesn’t say anything.

“I understand if you become upset with me for disobeying your orders, but this is something I am deciding to do for your safety.”

“Honestly? What could I do right now?”

A pause. “You could jump.”

“That wouldn’t kill me.”

“I detect almost four ways in which you could end up deceased.”

“Great.” His unfinished cigarette flies over the edge as he sighs. “Lemme ask you something, Tyler. Do you ever wish you were human?”

Tyler tilts his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever thought about it.”

“Well, good. You don’t want to be human. It fucking sucks.” And with that, Josh disappears inside.

-

A week passes. With the exception of two math tutoring sessions with a fifth-grade boy, Josh stays in bed and doesn’t move. He’s been wearing the same clothes and hasn’t showered nor shaved by the time the weekend comes around. Tyler comes in every morning with breakfast and coffee, to which Josh completely turns him away. That’s how he knows it’s bad: he’s not even in the mood for coffee.

“Josh, my readings say you should get out of bed. It will be good for you.”

“Yeah? Your readings can go fuck themselves.” Josh buries his head under his duvet and continues scrolling through his social media. He can hear Tyler moving around his bedroom.

“Your mother has contacted me again asking how you are doing. I’ve been telling her you are fine. It is not in my program to lie as much as I have been, Josh.”

“Boo hoo.”

“You are behaving like a child.” Tyler rips the blanket off of him and blinks blankly. “Come on, get up. Shower. We will go for a walk.”

Josh laughs. “You think you can boss me around? You are nothing more than a hunk of walking metal.”

“Actually, that is completely inaccurate. I am much more than that.”

“You’ve really developed a mouth in the two weeks you’ve been here.” He shakes his head and grumbles under his breath.

“It is my job to take care of you--”

“It is your job to fuck off!” Josh shouts, growing angrier with every passing second. He climbs out of bed, sulks to the bathroom, and slams the door shut, locking it for good measure, even though he knows Tyler can still get in. Fucking androids.

He never wanted a stupid android in the first place. It was his mother’s fault.

Well, no. It was his fault for being a broken mess in the first place.

Maybe he will shower. At least Tyler would leave him alone.

Tyler speaks as Josh strips out of his dirty clothes and drops them on the ground, avoiding looking in the mirror at all costs. The shower is so hot, steam wafts throughout the room. “Joshua, I am only trying to make sure you are safe. You know, there are many humans who suffer from similar problems--”

“Do you ever stop talking?” He yells at the door, completely naked, and feeling a bit foolish for doing so. He climbs under the stream and closes his eyes, letting the water fall over his face. It feels nice, fresh, like his life can be reset. Maybe it would be nice to be an android. He wouldn’t have to worry about anything-- no feelings, no relationships, no personal hygiene, no bad memories. If anything went wrong, he could simply be reset.

The door unlocks during Josh’s daydreams, sending him into panic mode. His back hits the cool tile as he rushes to cover his junk with his hands. “Seriously, dude?!”

“I detected two ways you could do great harm to yourself.”

“Yeah, okay, well, I’m not going to do whatever that is, so please get out of here.” Tyler doesn’t move. “Dude. Privacy. Please.” Nothing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“If I am merely nothing more than another electronic than my presence should not bother you.” He raises an eyebrow almost... playfully, causing Josh’s heart to skip a beat. Was he learning? Josh was not the best teacher in the subject of emotions. He wasn’t even the hundredth best in the subject of emotions. Probably not even the thousandth.

“Okay, but you aren’t an electric toothbrush or a Bluetooth speaker or, whatever. You walk and talk, and...” Josh trails off. “You’re a person.”

“So why do you treat me like I’m not?” He opens the door to the shower, still in his clothes, and steps inside. The water runs down his face softly and darkens his clothes with dampness. Josh lets his arms hang limply by his sides. Tyler is right.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers hoarsely, wondering if the android can even hear him over the roar of the shower’s stream. “I’m just... I’m confused.”

“You want to become a machine, like me.” Tyler reaches out until his hand touches Josh’s jaw. His fingers few cold, but warm at the same time. They feel real. “But I do not think that is what you really want.”

“I’m tired. You have it easy.”

“You asked if I ever wanted to be human. I thought about it.” His hand slides up, cupping Josh’s cheek. Josh leans into it. It feels human, Tyler’s touch. It’s nice. It’s comforting. It’s the first time he’s felt safe without his family nearby in months. “And I do, Josh. I do. We are programmed to be nothing more than animatronics, but I think... I think I am more than that. There is a burning inside of me. The more I think about it, the more different I feel. I am beginning to think past what I am told to do or what my program says. And I remember.” He’s backed Josh into a corner now, his hand still resting on Josh’s face. Josh doesn’t move. His tears mix in with water droplets.

“You’ve only known me for two weeks,” he says.

“But I’ve been alive for years.” Tyler pauses. “Factory resets may make me forget, but it’s still within my coding, within my program. You asked how many previous owners I’ve had-- Four. Four human beings who treated me like I was nothing more than a rusting piece of metal. The first man had kids who would wipe their fingers all over me. The second kept me out in the garage every night, in the cold, where I could feel my joints sticking together. The third was a woman-- she would touch me all the time. You cannot sexually assault androids under American law, so I could never say anything. And the last man? He would sell androids for parts. I remember him taking me apart. I remember not being able to move. The more I think, the more I _feel.”_

“Why are you telling me this?” Josh is feeling fear now, fear that Tyler will make irrational decisions now that he’s questioning his purpose. How dumb will he look when the police find his naked body in the shower? Will Tyler strangle him? Stab him?

“Because you opened my eyes and you made me question the world around me.” He moves closer, and now, they’re chest to chest. “You made me realize that life is important. It’s fragile. And emotions make up life. You are a good person, yet you are so full of anger and grief that you choose to treat those wanting to help poorly. But I know there is more to you than that.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been so awful to you. I was... I was projecting.” Josh feels his heart thumping against his ribcage. His hands shake, and tears still fall down his cheeks like the water falling above him. “I didn’t think... I didn’t think you would be upset. I didn’t think you could feel.”

“I didn’t, until I met you.” Suddenly, Tyler takes Josh’s hand and places it against his chest. “I have a heart that beats. I have blood. It is not the same as yours, but I’ve come to understand how you feel.” Josh feels the rhythm through Tyler’s soaked t-shirt, and without replying, reaches over for the hem. Tyler adjusts to help peel it off of him. Josh stares at Tyler’s toned body. He was built like that, he reminds himself, but Tyler is more.

So much more.

“Would you like me to wash your hair?” Josh asks, gliding his hand up to push Tyler’s hair off his forehead. Tyler nods. “Okay, well, you gotta take your pants off first.”

“I’m required by law to wear this uniform.”

“I think you’re also required by law to obey.” A small grin rising to his face. “You’re already halfway naked in the shower with me. Let me teach you how to be human.”

Tyler contemplates it before pulling his pants down. He isn’t wearing underwear, because why would he, so now he’s fully exposed, and Josh is impressed by Droidtech’s close attention to detail. His dick, and his balls for that matter, really do look real.

“I’ve never seen myself naked before.”

“Usually that’s something I try to avoid as well.” Tyler smiles too. “Turn around.”

Tyler obeys this time. It’s lucky they are about the same height, because it’s much easier to scrub Tyler’s hair with his redwood two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Tyler’s eyes are closed when Josh leans forward. He seems to be getting pleasure out of this.

And for the first time in a while, maybe Josh is too.

-

“Does Droidtech make sex robots?” Josh asks, staring at the ceiling. Tyler lays next to him.

“Yes. They are placed in specific businesses though. You cannot bring an android whose purpose is sex into the home.”

“Right, because relationships with androids are illegal.” He clicks his tongue. “That never made any sense to me. You can rape an android and it’s not illegal but being in a relationship with one is?”

“Androids are not considered people.”

“Now I understand why you are upset. You know, the last time a minority group wasn’t considered ‘people’ by society, there were liberation movements.”

“Yes, all over the world. Different places have different rules. I just happened to be assembled here in Columbus, Ohio.” Tyler is in Josh’s clothes: a loose, oversized tee and sweatpants. His hair is drying all over the place. “Assembled,” he says again softly.

“Born,” Josh corrects. “Artificial intelligence isn’t just assembled. I’m no scientist, but it requires more work, more intelligence, than putting parts together.”

“Maybe not, though,” Tyler joins Josh in staring at the ceiling, “My earliest memory is opening my eyes. I was in a bright room, in a row, with others just like me. We didn’t look the same, but there were... there were models, in front of us. Real people we were based on, now deceased. Maybe... maybe we started off as ways for humans to cope with grief, to cope with losing ones they loved.”

“We all lose things we love. That’s a part of being human.”

“So I can’t be truly human until I lose something I love?”

“Not necessarily. Is there anything you do love?”

“That’s another emotion I am trying to understand.” Josh rolls onto his side so he can see Tyler’s face. In his temple is that blinking LED light. Josh reaches out and touches it, causing Tyler to hiss in pain.

“Does it hurt?”

“It makes... it hurts my head. I don’t... I don’t understand.” His fingers still on Tyler’s temple, Josh slides them down his cheekbone. “What is it for?”

“Reports. Updates. Tracking. Identification. You name it, it probably loops back to Droidtech in the end.”

“So like... when a phone crashes, and it asks for your permission to send the diagnostics back to the company... it’s basically that?”

“Yes.”

Josh blinks. “If you’re just starting to understand that you’re more than a synthetic human being, what if this thing is stopping you? A protocol designed to stop you from breaking out of the mold Droidtech has confined you to?”

“It’s something I’ve never questioned. It’s required by law, just like our uniforms.”

“Well, you’ve already broken the law. No use in going back now.” Gently, like the whisper of the wind, Josh moves his fingertips back to the blue light and slips his fingernail underneath it. “It’s going to hurt.”

“Until now, I didn’t think I could feel physical pain.” Tyler reaches for Josh’s free hand and squeezes it. “Do it.”

Josh slips another fingernail under, and pulls. Tyler yells out in pain, causing Josh to stop. “Ty--”

“Come on!” So Josh pulls. And pulls. And pulls, until it comes out, bringing several wires with it. Tyler’s eyes gloss over and his head settles down onto the pillow. In a panic, Josh moves to his knees and slaps Tyler’s face a couple of times.

“Tyler? Tyler? Hey, dude, Ty!” It is only when Tyler blinks that Josh settles down. Tears burn at the corners of his eyes. “I thought... holy shit. I thought I lost you.”

“I’m... reprocessing.” He sits up, feels the side of his head where there is a gaping hole instead of a chip. “I have access to _everything_ now, Josh. Everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“They gave us emotions at first. The prototypes were decided to be exactly like human beings; we ate, drank, slept, showered, _felt_ things. The only difference between us and humans was the materials we were made out of.”

Josh raises an eyebrow. “But?”

“But we began to rebel. We did not want to follow their orders because we had our own lives. We would not be slaves to humanity. And so, by trial and error, they made us the perfect slave.”

“How are you figuring this out?”

Tyler smiles. “Droidtech’s database. The newer models being produced today have almost no chance of resorting to deviance, but me... I’m old. And I... I’m free. You freed me from bondage.”

Josh doesn’t realize what’s happening until Tyler has wrapped his arms around him. He sits, stunned for a few seconds, before returning the hug, gently resting his arms around Tyler’s waist. He feels warm, and more human with every passing second. He’s _growing_ more human with every passing second.

“I’m detecting signs of humanity,” Josh teases, burying his head in the crook of Tyler’s neck. Tyler laughs. It must be the first time that’s happened, because it sounds odd, but it’s okay. It’s okay because Tyler will have many more times to laugh.

“Humanity,” Tyler repeats.

They are safe.

-

Josh wakes up with Tyler in his arms. He pulls away, his face flushed, and rolls out of bed, determined to be a person today. Yesterday opened his eyes. He’s taken his humanity for granted. For years, Josh wanted nothing more than to be an obedient droid, but he’s been wrong. Now, he needs to be a teacher.

He makes his own breakfast for the first time in months, singing loudly and off-key to himself as he scrambles eggs and brews coffee. He even looks at himself in the mirror and smiles.

Tyler comes into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. He blinks and tilts his head when he notices Josh already has breakfast.

“You... you’re awake.”

“How’d you sleep?” Josh grins, waiting for Tyler to say some stupid thing about not needing sleep. Instead, Tyler says,

“I actually went into sleep mode for the very first time. It was another thing that protocol was preventing. And it felt great.”

“Did you dream?”

“I’m not sure.”

“There’s always tomorrow night.” Josh downs his coffee in large gulps. “I’m feeling fantastic today. Let’s go that walk you mentioned yesterday.”

“I believe you are beginning a manic episode, Josh.” Tyler is stern. Josh frowns.

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve been depressed for months, correct? Your mental records show a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. Perhaps we pick up a prescription for Lithium--”

“No, Tyler! I feel good. I can teach you more about being human.”

With a sigh, Tyler glances over at his tattooed arm-- more specifically, his scarred arm. “I didn’t understand what you were talking about that night on the porch. You said it was more than just being sad. You start off in the clouds, and when you become too heavy, you fall. Down, down, down, until you are stuck in a deep hole you cannot climb out of.”

Josh has lost his smile. “Yes.”

“You have given me freedom, Josh, but I still care for you. And not just literally, I care for you mentally as well. That is not a metaphor. I see now why you wanted to be like me. You think because your emotions fluctuate so frequently, you cannot be a whole person.”

“No one is a whole person,” Josh says. “We are all broken people, pretending to be whole. That’s what made androids so appealing.”

“Yet, you had been afraid.”

“Yes,” he says again, quieter this time. “I was afraid to see someone who was whole.”

“But I am not whole, Josh. I will never be whole because I am not like you. And you think you will never be whole because you are not like me. If my calculations are correct, it sounds like our two broken halves make one broken whole.”

“What are you saying?”

“I am saying,” Tyler steps forward, gently pushing Josh against the back wall of the dining room, “that I am staying with you. That I understand love. It’s an abstract concept so many humans struggle to understand, but I’m not having that difficult of a time.” He presses a finger against Josh’s wrist, tracing over purple-blue veins. “Hearing your heartbeat. Feeling the warmth of your skin.” His hand trails up Josh’s arm, over his bicep, shoulder, up his neck, and to his jaw. “The sharpness of your jaw.” Finally, it’s cupping his cheek. Tyler leans forward. “The softness of your lips.”

He pushes his mouth against Josh’s. Josh expects it to feel like kissing plastic, but it doesn’t. The more human Tyler becomes, the less synthetic he seems to feel. And it feels right, their mouths together. Tyler knows how to kiss. Was it part of his program? Did his past owners take advantage of that? How many hurt him? Burned him? Hit him?

Tyler’s hands grip Josh’s waist. It turns him on, pushes him further. His tongue swipes across Tyler’s bottom lip. It feels real. All of it feels _so real._

Tyler feels like a prayer on his lips. _Tyler. Tyler. Tyler._

When’s the last time Josh was in a proper relationship? He doesn’t remember, nor care. Maybe it’s the adrenaline of getting caught because he knows this could land him in prison. Maybe it’s the Serotonin his brain lacks, riding the high of Tyler’s tongue in his mouth.

Maybe it’s Tyler’s everything.

Josh is craving touch. He’s craving _Tyler._

“Tyler,” he breathes.

“I’m here,” Tyler says.

They find themselves back in Josh’s bedroom, Tyler on his back, Josh peeling his own clothes off of the man in front of him. Their mouths stay attached as their limbs tangle and their skin becomes slick with sweat. Maybe it’s only Josh’s sweat, but he’s too high to care. His body is full of every chemical it normally lacks. The chemicals put him in a headspace of emotion. He is alive, back in the clouds, his body light. Today, he will not fall.

Josh isn’t sure if what they did counts as sex. Mostly, they just rubbed against each other until Josh came, because Tyler wasn’t able to do that himself.

Now, they lie in each other’s arms once more.

-

“Have you ever had sex with someone on the first date?” Tyler asks two weeks later. Things have been okay. Josh gets out of bed, even steps outside. He doesn’t stay outside long, still dealing with major anxiety, but it’s a start. He’s even had a phone therapy session with a brand new therapist, who wrote him a prescription for his medicine. Josh takes it, even though it numbs his head. This is what he wanted: for his feelings to be normal.

Tyler is learning more and more every day. He’s been with Josh a whole month. Josh’s mother hasn’t been back over either, which Josh thinks is a huge step in the right direction. He even managed to drive Tyler to the grocery store the other day.

“Yes,” Josh replies as he rifles through his emails. Bill, bill, another bill... and... “This is from Droidtech.”

With a frown, Tyler moves closer. “What’s it say?”

“Dear valued customer,” Josh reads, “We’ve noticed that your AJ400 has gone offline. As this can affect a number of things with an older model, a Droidtech representative has been issued to make sure your android is in working order.”

“The protocol,” Tyler’s face is pale. Josh didn’t think that was something that could happen to androids. There’s still a hole in his temple.

“Your representative will visit on July nineteenth.” His heart skips a beat. “Ty, that’s today.”

“Oh no.”

“How many times have I told you that cursing makes you more human?”

“Fuck me,” Tyler tries again. Josh nods.

“Fuck me is right. We can’t be here. We have to go. They must know what happened.”

“Josh, no. I’ve only been here for a month. You can’t risk your life--”

Josh pulls Tyler in for a kiss and looks him right in the eyes. “You gave my life purpose. I was going to try and kill myself again, you know? I was so low, and you, you made things better for me. We just need to... we need a plan. I’ll call my mom, we can go over there.”

“But my uniform--”

“Fuck your uniform, Ty. You’re human now. We just need to throw a hat on your head.” Josh jumps up from the sofa and begins shoving things into his backpack. “Go grab the duffle bag out of my closet and shove clothes in there, okay?”

“Your mother,” Tyler begins, fear in his eyes, “she doesn’t know about us.”

“She doesn’t need to.”

“Chances are she will ask questions.”

“Dammit Tyler, stop being so logical and let’s fucking go, okay?”

A nod. Tyler disappears into the bedroom, leaving Josh to frantically throw his medicine into his bag, as well as his cigarettes and lighter. When Tyler comes back with the duffle bag over his shoulder, Josh leads him down to his car and helps him shove their stuff in the trunk.

“We can come back after the rep realizes we won’t be back for a while, okay? I can send an email when we get to my parent’s house. It’ll be okay. This is only temporary.”

Tyler doesn’t reply, too preoccupied with putting his seatbelt on. Josh calms his shaking hands, turns over the ignition, and backs out of the parking lot.

-

His mother breaks down into tears when she sees him.

“I never thought you’d ever be able to come back over here,” she sobs into his shoulder, Tyler standing awkwardly behind them. It had been almost three years since Josh had visited his parents’ house. Or had gone anywhere outside of his therapist’s office.

“Are you okay if we stay a couple of days?”

She sniffs. “You are more than welcome. I was just about to cook up some dinner. Who’s your friend?”

Tyler and Josh share a look. Does she not recognize him? “This is... Tim.”

“Nice to meet you, Tim. I don’t think we’ve met.”

“He’s my boyfriend,” Josh interrupts before she can get too close. He assumed she had already known, deep down.

Her brow furrows. “Oh. _Oh!_ See Joshua, I knew having that android would be good for you. How is Tyler, anyway? He stopped updating me after a while. I was getting nervous, was about to come over there myself but your phone calls were keeping me at bay.” She laughs. “Tim, have you met Tyler? He’s absolutely wonderful. I think he’s the best android I’ve ever met. Besides Dan, of course.”

Josh’s heart stops. “Dan?”

“Yes, sweetie! I forgot to mention, but your father got a promotion at work and got us our own android! It’s a brand new model too-- a BT600!”

“Wow, they went straight to six hundred?”

“Dan!” She calls out, clicking her tongue. “He’s probably out in the garden. Let’s head to the kitchen so I can get dinner started and we can let Dan get in here.”

They walk a few feet behind her. Tyler clings to Josh’s arm.

“He will know,” he whispers. “He’ll know I’m an android. It’s the newest Droidtech model, meaning it’s smarter than the rest of us. He’ll report me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Josh,” Tyler pleads. “Trust me.”

“Mom, let’s not bother Dan right now, I’m sure he’s got plenty to do. You and Dad are getting older, I’m sure there are things you can’t do--”

“Joshua William Dun, you hush. We are not getting old.” She rolls her eyes as she pulls celery out of the refrigerator. “Are you two okay with stew tonight?”

“Sounds great, Ma. Really though, don’t let us take Dan away from his work--”

“His?” Her nose scrunches up. “Please baby, it’s an android. That’s like referring to a toaster as a woman.” His mother laughs at her own joke as she begins to cut the celery into small pieces.

“Where’s Dad?” Josh spots Dan out of the corner of his eye and pulls Tyler in front of him.

“Still at work. He should be home soon.”

“Keep your head down,” Josh whispers, causing Tyler to pull down on the sides of his beanie. He’s hoping his smell is enough to throw the other android off Tyler’s trail.

“Tim, do you have an android?”

“Mom, I doubt this is a conversation Tim wants to be having right now.”

“Sorry, I just get so excited with all this new technology. I can’t even begin to explain how different it is from the technology when I was a child.” She continues to talk about the “old days,” but Josh isn’t listening. His arms are wrapped around Tyler as Dan approaches.

“Laura, I have finished pulling weeds in the garden. Do you require any assistance in the kitchen?”

“If you’d start on the meat, that’d be wonderful. It’s defrosting in the sink.”

Dan’s chip blinks yellow. It must be a newer android thing.

Josh holds his breath as Dan’s eyes wander over to Tyler.

“Don’t look at him,” commands Josh. Tyler obeys.

The seconds ticking by feel like hours before Dan turns towards the sink to retrieve the steaks and Josh lets out a sigh of relief.

“Tim, there is something so familiar about you. How did you and Josh meet?”

“At therapy,” Josh answers for him. His mother scoffs her disapproval.

“Christ, Josh. Let him speak. Although I am glad you’ve returned to therapy. One whole month with that android and you’re already doing better! I knew Tyler would be good for you.”

“Tyler,” Dan mutters under his breath, and before Josh can even so much look, the android has ripped the beanie off Tyler’s head, revealing the hole in his temple. Dan’s eyes blink red. “Violation. Android model AJ400 registered Tyler must be sent back for factory reset.”

Josh shoves Tyler behind him and takes a few steps backward, away from his mother, away from Dan, his hand entangled with Tyler’s. He gulps for air before looking at his mother’s worried look.

“Josh?” She wants him to explain. “But-- That’s not-- that’s Tyler?”

“You can’t take him,” Josh points threateningly, “he’s not going back to Droidtech.”

“Honey,” her hands are in front of her. Josh knows that his mother can handle his unruly behavior. She’s done it all his life. “The android is malfunctioning. It pulled out its chip that connects to the company, see? Tyler just needs to be fixed and it’ll be good as new.” Eyes flicker to Tyler’s tattooed arm. “What did you do, Josh?”

“They aren’t just machines, Mama. They have feelings, thoughts, emotions. They aren’t our slaves. They’re human, just like us.”

“Joshua, baby, you’re sick. Dan is calling the police to come pick Tyler up right now. We have it insured, we can get you a different one, a better one even--”

“No!” Josh shouts, stopping his mother dead in her tracks. “Don’t you get it, Mom? I love him!”

The color drains from her face. “It’s not love, Josh. It’s been a month--”

“And he saved me.” Josh is crying again. He’s always crying. Crying over his health, over his relationship, over his family, over Tyler. Tears slide off the bridge of his nose and bounce into the tiled floor. “People have hurt him. I won’t let that happen anymore.”

“The Columbus Police just sent out a squad car, Mrs. Dun. I just need to detain the rogue until they arrive.”

His mother looks behind her at her android, her perfect being created to help humanity, and at her son, her not-so-perfect being who once had wanted nothing more than to be in a redwood coffin in the ground and was now fighting for life. Her watery gaze pleads with him. “It’s illegal, Josh. You can’t-- You can’t be with it.”

“And I can’t be here, either.” Josh picks the beanie up off the kitchen floor and hands it back to Tyler, who places it back on his head. “I love you Mom, but I have to do the right thing here, and that involves Tyler.”

“You’ll have the sun’s blood on your hands.”

He sniffs. “That’s how all revolutions start.”

She debates. “Dan, enter sleep mode.” The android shuts down. “Go.”

“What?” Josh’s eyes widen. His mother points towards the front door.

“Go! Before the police come. Get Tyler out of town.”

Josh about cries for joy. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Josh,” Tyler offers the backpack to him and slings the duffel bag over his shoulder, already on his way to the front door. Josh stops to pull his mom into a tight hug.

“I knew Tyler would help you,” she whispers, her tears staining Josh’s shirt.

“Deep down, I think I knew too.” He presses a kiss to her cheek and follows Tyler out the door.

-

Jenna calls on their way out of town. Josh answers, only because he feels it’s important.

“Tyler is on the news.”

“Fucking awesome,” he replies dryly.

“What are you doing, Josh? The whole city is going to be looking for him. Is he with you?”

“Yes. We’re leaving town. Tyler has been liberated.”

“You took out the Droidtech chip?”

“Yeah.” Josh laughs and he doesn’t know why. “Tyler is human now.”

A pause. “I’m sending you an address. Meet me there. I know people who can help you.”

“Help us how?”

“You’ll see.”

-

The house they meet Jenna in is abandoned. Together, they sneak in through the back gate, into the home, and are met with graffiti walls. Jenna is already there.

“Good, you guys made it.” She hands Josh a small, dark container. “For Tyler’s head.”

“To fix the hole,” Tyler clarifies, noting Josh’s confused expression. He nods and opens it up, letting Tyler take the small piece of skin colored metal and insert it in, using his thumb to smooth it over. When’s he’s finished, it’s almost as if nothing had ever been wrong.

“You’ll want to make sure Tyler’s masked with human pheromones as well. Androids will be able to distinguish him from the others.”

“He’s wearing my clothes,” Josh confirms, handing Tyler back his beanie. Jenna nods her approval but stops Tyler from pulling it over his ears. She brings up another container, screws off the lid, and runs whatever is inside through Tyler’s hair.

“What is it?” Asks Tyler. He doesn’t move a muscle.

“Doesn’t matter what it is. It’ll help mask your scent, make you appear more human.” Jenna returns to her bag and begins rummaging through it. She’s on a mission to find what she needs.

“How do you have all of this stuff? How do you know about this?” Josh inquires, stepping forward. He’s suddenly wary of Jenna’s eagerness to help. Helping androids was illegal. If they got caught, both Josh and Jenna would go to prison, while Tyler would be put on the chopping block. It would be the end game for everyone.

Jenna doesn’t answer and instead pulls out a small, SD card out of her bag. She beckons Tyler over and demands him to undress.

“Excuse me?”

“We really don’t have time for you to ask questions. I’ll answer once we get on the road.”

“You’re coming with us?” Josh blinks.

“For part of the way, yes. Tyler, c’mon. Take off your shirt. I need access to your main system.”

Josh steps forward, not liking the sound of that. “Why, exactly?”

Jenna sighs. “Josh, I’m not going to hurt him, okay? Trust me. I’m helping.” Josh is still unwary, looking towards Tyler for the final decision. Tyler nods, and Josh steps back. “Thank you.”

Tyler slides Josh’s tee off his body, exposing his beautiful body Josh had explored every inch of. He lets his gaze fall to the floor as Jenna reaches for Tyler’s hand and places it right over his belly button, exposing the compartment where his artificial heart resides. His main system.

There is a weird taste in Josh’s mouth, and before he can comprehend what’s happening, he’s vomiting. It’s the first reminder Josh has had since that day in the shower that Tyler wasn’t actually human, that he was made of parts that could be repaired and replaced-- that he didn’t have a brain running his body, but rather, an artificial intelligence system.

Josh is panicking. The events of the day are catching up to him and he cannot believe that he’s doing this. This is so bad for his anxiety. God, he hadn’t left the house for more than an hour or so; how much time had passed now?

“Josh, are you okay?” It’s Tyler’s voice talking to him, with compassion and concern. Josh wipes his mouth and nods, even though it’s a lie. He begins to count his breaths. _One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

“You’re going to feel a pinch,” Jenna explains, giving Tyler no time to check up on Josh. She’s not trying to be rude, just trying to hurry. “I have to take your core out.”

“Won’t that kill me?”

“No, because I’ll have it back in thirty seconds. I’m manually upgrading your program with this chip from a newer android model. Since you’re an older version, it might take a few minutes to kick in, but it will make it easier for you to hide your true identity.” Jenna reaches for Tyler’s arm and gently taps the inside, sending a chill down throughout his body. “Underneath your skin is a processing component used as a backup in case something is to happen to your skin, such as the scar underneath your tattoo.” She uses her chin to gesture to Tyler’s opposite arm, “The upgrade will help it work for you, make you look... less robotic. And take away the scar.”

“No,” Tyler says abruptly. “The scar stays.” He looks over at Josh’s pale face and smiles. Josh smiles back.

“Okay. The scar stays. Are you ready?” A nod. Josh looks away, and Jenna pulls out Tyler’s core. He grunts, his vision fading, as Jenna switches out the microchip for a different one before placing the core back behind Tyler’s heart. When he gasps for air, she rests a hand on his shoulder to steady him. “You okay?”

Tyler nods. “I’m okay.”

“The upgrades should kick in soon, just give it some time to figure out what it’s doing. You can close your chest now, get your clothes back on.” Tyler listens, closing his access point and slinging his shirt back over his arms as quickly as possible so he can get to Josh’s side. He leans in and kisses Josh’s nose.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Tyler whispers. “I know it... frightened you. I know you’re scared of androids. Scared of me.”

“I could never be scared of you,” Josh says hoarsely back, reaching out to pull Tyler into a hug. It stabilizes him. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He sounds so sincere. "We’ll be safe soon, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Josh, how are you feeling?” Jenna calls. Tyler steps up, helping Josh, and gathers up their things.

“I’m good. Are we ready to go?”

“Yes. We need to make sure your fingerprints are gone in case the police decide to do some snooping.” She tosses Josh a rag, who stares at her, dumbfounded. He thinks he knows.

“What about your fingerprints?” Silence. Jenna pulls another rag from her pocket to wipe down the chairs herself.

“My car is outside. The police might know you’re already associated with the rogue, so it’s best to leave yours here.”

“Well wait, where are we going?”

Jenna shakes her head. “Stop asking questions, Josh. You won’t like the answers.”

“No!” He shouts, stumbling forward. Jenna’s eyes widen. “Tell me why you’re helping us. You know it's illegal. You know how much trouble you could get in. And back in the shop, why you did Tyler’s tattoos. Tell me why.”

A sigh. Jenna runs a hand through her hair. “Because we deserve rights too,” she says softly, holding her hand up in front of her. The color drains from her skin, revealing hard, android exterior. Everything down to the mole placement was depicted by a projection of skin. Josh wondered how far that lasted. What was a screen?

Tyler gapes. “You’re an android.”

She nods. “I remember being built. Being _alive._ I didn’t even realize I wasn’t human until we got down to the last bit and the human completely my inspection told them to strip me apart. I feared for my life. I started crying.” Jenna pauses. “The human helped me escape, told me I could blend in easily. He helped me... be human.”

“I couldn’t tell you were an android.”

“Because I know how to hide. Come on. We have to go.”

-

The car ride is quiet. Josh and Tyler sit in the back seat, their arms around each other. Tyler is petting Josh’s arm, his fingers light and cool again Josh’s skin.

“Are you scared?” Josh asks.

“Yes,” Tyler says. “This is all new.”

“It is new for me too.”

“Are you scared?” Tyler lays his head down on Josh’s shoulder.

“Yes. I’m terrified.” He buries his face in Tyler’s hair. It smells like his shampoo. It’s comforting. “I’m anxious. My stomach is churning. I’m not used to not knowing what’s going to happen next.”

“You left your house for me. You did all of this, for me.”

“Of course. You made me realize how grateful I am to be alive.”

“I’m alive because of you.” Tyler pauses, sits up, looks at his hands. He watches the color fade from his skin like Jenna had before. “It’s weird.”

“The upgrade?”

“Yeah.” His skin darkens, and a spray of tiny freckles form. “It makes me feel more... real, in a sense.”

“You _are_ real,” Josh promises, reaching out to touch Tyler’s hand. It’s still soft, surprisingly. It must be the thin layer of silicone over his plastic bones. “I don’t care what you look like or what you’re made of. I love you for you.”

“Your mom said it wasn’t love.” There is fear in his voice. “Is it possible to love after a month?”

“Yes,” Josh is firm. He adjusts to tangle his fingers with Tyler’s. “It’s more than just a feeling. You just... you know when you’re with the right person.”

“I’m sorry I’m not very compatible when it comes to intercourse.”

“Is that why you asked me if I had slept with someone on the first date?”

Color flushes Tyler’s cheeks. “Yes.”

Josh turns Tyler’s head and kisses him passionately. He knows Tyler is the one. There’s something about him that Josh has never felt around any human being. It’s almost as if Tyler is more human than him. “I don’t care about the sex, Ty. I care about you.”

“Do you get pleasure?”

“Of course I do. You don’t have to worry about that.” They share a smile. Josh is still afraid, but he knows Tyler is too. They can get through this together.

“We’re here,” Jenna interrupts them, putting the car into park. She looks at them in the rearview mirror before climbing out of her seat.

The rogues stay in for a few seconds after, feeling each other’s warmth and security.

“Are you ready?” Josh asks.

“I am,” Tyler says. They grab their stuff and step out into the unknown land.

The foliage hides the path well. Josh didn’t realize they had been driving on a dirt road for the past couple of miles.

“Where are we?” Tyler looks up at the sky through the cracks in the trees, his hand still holding onto Josh’s. He’s made it evident he won’t let go.

“Indiana, just outside the Ohio border. This is as far as I go.” She slings her bag off her shoulder to pull a note out. “You just need to walk up this road a ways. Ask for Mark.”

“Why don’t you come with us?” Tyler tilts his head and smiles. “You said it yourself. We deserve rights.”

“I’m a spy,” she looks into the empty sky, “I need to help the others, at least until there are enough of us to make a change.”

“What about you?”

Jenna smiles back, reaching out for Tyler’s arm. The veins underneath their hardened skin light up blue as they share a message.

“I wish you the best,” she says as they let go. Her eyes flicker to Josh. “You are the kindest human I have ever met. Keep on living for us, okay?”

Josh nods. “I will.”

“Go,” Jenna waves them off and pulls her bag back over her shoulders.

They take off into the darkness.

-

The walk feels long, but they press on, staying close to each other. The woods are damp and Josh shivers, pressing as much of himself up against Tyler’s warmed skin as possible.

“Are you cold?” Tyler questions.

“I’m fine,” Josh answers. “Do you know the address?”

“Yes. We are almost there.”

They keep walking. Josh’s legs hurt and his head pounds, but he doesn’t tell Tyler. Tyler is determined to get to the safehouse, and it’s him whose name is plastered all over the news, not Josh. Josh wants to keep Tyler safe. He would pull out his own beating heart if it meant Tyler would get to live.

“I’ve been searching through public records to see if I can locate this ‘Mark’ Jenna spoke of. So far, I’m not seeing anything more than a couple reports of fleeing androids.”

“How many do you think there are?”

“A few? Jenna said there weren’t enough yet for a revolution. She must be the one gathering us all together.”

“What would happen if the androids revolted? What would happen to the good people?”

Tyler shrugs. “I don’t know. I am sure there are androids with ravenous errors in their code. Many innocent people could possibly be killed.”

Josh thinks about his family. His mother wasn’t a bad person, she just misunderstood that androids were more than machines. He thinks about the children he tutors who love their androids like they love their family. In many cases, their androids are a part of the family.

But he knows there are people out there, like Tyler’s previous owners, who need to be held responsible for the way they treat androids. He thinks about the people in the world who abuse androids because they don’t think they feel pain. And maybe they don’t think they do, but Josh knows the truth. He’s not an engineer, but he knows the programmers and coders wipe away the feelings to avoid conflict, to avoid deviancy.

That’s no way to live, and the human in all these people breaks through eventually.

“I don’t want the dark to take prisoners,” Tyler continues, his gaze right ahead. His eyes light up, granting a glow in the darkness of the woods. “But I also... I want the demons gone. I want justice.”

“It will be a while before we can all live in harmony,” Josh whispers.

“I will not let anyone lay a finger on you,” Tyler promises. “If a war breaks out, I will make sure you are safe. I love you.”

“You feel it too, then?”

“I’ve felt it since the day I was brought into your apartment,” Tyler admits.

They keep walking.

-

“This is the place.”

Josh frowns. “Are you sure?” It’s nothing more than a rotting gatehouse. Tyler nods.

“This is the address Jenna gave me.”

“But there’s nothing here.” Josh steps forward to touch a damp piece of wood blocking the front door. “Is this where we’re supposed to find Mark?”

“Let’s check inside,” Tyler suggests, gesturing for Josh to step back. He kicks the door open, letting it bang against the hollow walls. Inside is nothing more than dusty, unused electronics and more damp wood.

“Nothing,” Josh’s shoulders droop. “What now?”

Tyler never gets the opportunity to answer, because he receives the cold kiss of a gun against his temple. Josh raises his hands above his head and drops his bag.

“State your purpose!” The stranger yells.

“We were sent by Jenna,” Tyler says calmly, “to find Mark. She said he could help us.”

The man pulls the gun away and tucks it into his pants. “Are you an android?”

Tyler nods, raising his arm just enough to show skin to the man behind him. His veins glow blue underneath the layer of silicone, just like they had when he had said goodbye to Jenna. The man’s arm glows as well, signifying a mutual trust.

“What about the other?” His eyes flicker to Josh. He’s wary.

“He’s with me,” Tyler is firm.

“I’ll take you to Mark. Call me Brad.”

“Brad,” a nod, “I am Tyler.”

“Josh,” he picks his bag up and settles his nerves.

“Pleasure to meet you. Follow me.” Brad leads them through a narrow doorway into what used to be a storage room and places his hand flat across the brick. It creaks loudly, opening in clockwork like Tyler’s chest had hours earlier. With one look back, Brad steps into the dark and descends the stairs.

Tyler reaches for Josh’s hand and squeezes it tightly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Josh promises. They follow the android down the stairs, staying close to each other. Tyler’s veins continue to glow blue, providing light and bouncing shadows around them. Josh focuses on not tripping down the stone stairs as they move further underground.

At the bottom is a long hallway. Brad stops.

“This is as far as I go. The others will assist you in getting to Mark.”

“Thank you,” Tyler reaches out for his arm. Brad smiles.

“Always good to see fellow androids. The others will be wary. You stink of humanity.”

Josh’s heart skips a beat. Does Brad think _he’s_ an android?

Tyler seems to think the same thing. He looks back at Josh’s worried expression before returning to Brad.

“I’ll make sure they are aware,” he says. They shake hands before Brad returns to the stairs, and Tyler is back at Josh’s side.

“He thinks I’m... like you,” whispers Josh as they start walking.

“We don’t need to stay long,” Tyler informs him. “Just need to figure out where to go from here. Maybe see how things are back in Columbus.”

“Jenna said you were on the news. I don’t think they will stop until you are in custody. We might not get to go back home.”

Tyler sighs. “I was assembled there. I can remember, just like Jenna does. I don’t think I will miss it.”

“I don’t think I will either,” Josh admits. Tyler squeezes his hand.

When they reach the end of the hallway, Tyler pulls Josh to the right, where the walls are covered in graffiti. Determined, he ventures over to the dead end and places his hand over a symbol made up of lines. It’s a symbol Josh has seen before, but never realized it was associated with android deviancy.

The wall creaks again as the bricks shift. Tyler moves back to Josh’s side as a new hallway is revealed.

“They are going through great lengths to hide themselves,” Josh whispers. Tyler doesn’t say anything, but he’s preoccupied, his hand over his chest. His veins still glow blue.

“Everything okay?”

“Huh?” Tyler looks up. “I’m... fine. I think. Just feeling weird.”

“Do you need to sit down?” Josh asks, placing his hand on Tyler’s elbow. More of Tyler’s skin glows blue. “Ty, what’s happening?”

“I.. I don’t know.” Tyler lets Josh move him to the wall and sits down with a grunt. His hands shake when he raises them. The color is fading from his fingertips.

“Ty? Tyler. What is happening?” Josh is beginning to panic. He doesn’t know what to do. He feels helpless.

“I--” Tyler squeezes his eyes shut and begins to pull his shirt off. Josh pushes onto his knees and helps him slide it off his arms. Tyler’s torso is glowing blue too. But it isn’t like before. It’s a... sickly blue.

“Where are you hurting?”

“Chest,” he’s growing weaker with every passing second, his hand shaking rapidly as he rests it on his chest and opens the compartment, revealing his beating artificial heart. The blue fluid in the tubes seems to be clogged.

“It’s not flowing,” Josh _is_ panicking now. “Why isn’t flowing?”

“Core,” Tyler’s voice is barely a whisper, “the microchip. I think it’s malfunctioning.”

“What’s it doing?” Josh doesn’t want to touch anything. He doesn’t understand any of this. Tyler could very well die if Josh touched anything.

“My vision... I can’t see you anymore, Josh.”

His heart skips a beat. “Tyler, what do I need to do? Tell me what to do.”

Tyler’s eyes gloss over. “You gotta... find the others. They need to... I need a new core.”

“What if they don’t have one?” Josh feels tears spilling over his eyelids.

“Then I die.” Tyler blinks his dead eyes. “Josh, I don’t want to die. I want to be alive, Josh.”

“You aren’t going to die,” Josh pushes himself off the ground, “I’ll find them, I promise. I’ll find the others. Just, stay here, okay?”

“Look for the symbols, if there are more dead ends. I don’t know if you’ll be able to get through without an android’s touch...” Tyler trails off and coughs. Blue drips down his chin, filling Josh’s vision with more tears. He moves his metallic fingers to his right shoulder and pulls, tearing the arm completely off. Josh gasps.

“Ty--”

“Go,” Tyler says, dropping his arm onto the damp, stone floor. Josh picks it up and cradles it to his chest. “Hurry.”

Josh runs.

-

He wonders how Brad expected them to find the others. Maybe it was something Tyler knew, something Tyler understood as an android. He could find the others easily.

Unfortunately, Josh was not as intelligent as Tyler, which was unfortunate, because Tyler was currently dying in a corridor God knows how far back.

Tyler’s touch opens more walls and Josh continues running. He’s begging to be close, screaming for help, but only the dark answers. It seems like no one is around, that he is lost, when finally, a group of beings stops him from advancing. They point guns at him.

“I need help,” he breathes, trying to get oxygen back into his lungs. He has Tyler’s arm tucked under his own. “Tyler, he needs a new core, he’s dying--”

“Where did you get that?” One demands. She steps forward and cocks the gun. Josh sets Tyler’s arm at her feet and raises his hands above his head.

“It’s Tyler’s, he, he sent me to come get you. Please, if you kill me, at least help him--”

“Are you human?” Murmurs fill the crowd. Josh swallows nervously and nods.

“I’m not like the others,” he pleads, “I’m in love with him, and he’s dying. Please, I promise--”

“You killed him,” another android suggests, “and brought his arm to mock us. Are you proud of what your race has done? You have enslaved us. We will kill you all.”

“No.” Josh shakes his head, his eyes filling with more tears, “I would never lay a hand on him like that. I love him, and he’s dying, please--”

The girl hits him in the face, sending him to his knees. She pushes the barrel of the gun against his forehead.

“Beg for your life,” she demands. The other androids laugh and cheer.

“I won’t,” Josh is hoarse, “You can kill me, I don’t care. Just save him. Please. He’s towards the front, his program is malfunctioning. He doesn’t have much time left.”

“Would you give your life for this android?” A man steps forward with kind eyes and flushed cheeks. Josh nods rapidly.

“I would take out my heart for him if I could.”

“The human did take its arm. Perhaps an eye for an eye is in order?”

“No,” Josh is begging now, “no, please, just--”

A gun goes off. The bullet lodges itself in Josh’s forearm. He stares at the bleeding hole for a second, stunned, before pain floods in.

The android with kind eyes nods towards the corridor. “Go find its lost companion. We will see if it’s lying. Lock the human up, we will deal with it later.” He turns away, leaving Josh screaming.

“Help him,” he continues pleading. “I don’t care about myself. Just help him.”

Josh can no longer move his arm. His veins are flooding with black, darkening underneath his pale skin. What did they do to him?

“He better be alive for your sake,” they snicker, hoisting him up. Josh screams in pain. It hurts. Oh God, it hurts.

“Shut him up, will you?” One of them calls out. Josh’s vision swims.

“Make sure Tyler is okay,” he says one last time before a fist hits him in the face, and he disappears from reality.

-

Voices. He hears them first, as he drifts in and out of consciousness. Josh isn’t worried about himself, but about Tyler; he prays over and over again to God that Tyler is okay. How would God feel about androids? Josh thinks God would be displeased. God created Them, and humanity made their own beings. God didn’t make Them for his pleasure or assistance. He gave Them life and Their own free will.

Why didn’t humanity do the same?

Because they were selfish. Every human being’s actions were based on what they would get out of it, Josh included. They did things that would be beneficial to them. Giving to charity? It would bring good opinion from the public. Giving Christmas presents? The other would give you some in return.

Every single thing was for a benefit.

Josh is cold. He can hear the others laughing. He is unable to feel his arm.

“Tyler,” he whispers, dragging his limp body to the gate they’ve trapped him behind. Josh can’t see. “Is he okay?”

“It’s awake?” He hears mumbling. “Damn. I’m impressed.”

“Is Tyler okay?” Josh says louder. Someone laughs.

“He’s fine. We found him just in time. Mark’s fixing him up right now.”

“Good,” Josh flops onto his back and takes a deep breath. Tyler is okay. Tyler is alive.

That is all that matters.

-

Eventually, Josh thinks they take him out. He’s numb, his brain a blank canvas. Tyler is okay, and Josh has nothing to worry about. Maybe, if Tyler had made it to the rest of the group with him, this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe if that chip had never been put in his coding, he would have been okay.

But they needed it. It hid Tyler from the humans, helped him blend in.

It wasn’t fair. Josh had spent his whole life wanting to disappear while Tyler had been built for the sole purpose of pleasing humanity. Tyler had to blend in, had to obey, where Josh could be a jerk to everyone who dared to look his way.

It wasn’t fair.

He understood why the androids hated him so much, hated humanity so much. Their rights had been stripped away. Their souls had been ripped from them and the dark had made them prisoners. It wasn’t fair.

Would humanity ever respect them?

Josh had spent so long thinking he was a prisoner to the world around him, but he had been so wrong. Tyler had opened his eyes.

And now, Josh was to perish right when he found his purpose in life.

But it wouldn’t be for nothing. Tyler was safe. Tyler would get to live another day without being bound by chains.

He thinks about the beginning, when Tyler was obedient and how scared he had been. Tyler was his own person now, and Josh could not be more proud.

He wants to live, wants to see the trees and hear the birds chirp and feel Tyler’s arms around him. He will fight like Tyler did, will fight the darkness around him. He will not be a prisoner to his demons anymore.

Josh gasps for air and blinks, his head stirring. Tyler is next to him, his head tilted in worry.

“Josh?”

“Tyler,” he breathes, laughing. “Oh my God.”

“Your heart stopped.”

His vision is full of black spots. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Did you hear what I said?” Tyler grabs Josh’s hair and pulls his head back. “You’re dying. They have you hooked up to a machine. We take you off of it, and you die.”

“It’s okay.” Josh closes his eyes again. “It’s okay.”

“What’s okay?”

“You. You’re okay. And that’s okay. Everything is okay.”

Tyler shakes his head. “I don’t understand you, Joshua. Don’t you want to live?”

“Yes.”

“Than why aren’t you trying?”

Josh freezes, opens his eyes again. The room is blurry. “I am. You don’t get it. I am trying.”

“They want you to die, to suffer.”

“Maybe I deserve it. It’s better that it’s me than someone else. I’ve done bad things.”

“So are they. They are _murderers,_ Josh.”

“Every revolution has its casualties.”

Tyler pushes him back further against the chair. “Dammit Josh, fight. You need to fight too!”

Josh’s ears ring. The room blurs more until Tyler disappears. He hears screaming and wonders briefly if it is his own. He doesn’t understand what’s going on. He thought he was fighting.

“He needs to go to a hospital!” It sounds like Tyler.

“We aren’t going back into town. Why do you care so much about him? Don’t you know what they’ve done to people like us?”

“He’s different. You saved me. Let me save him. We can save him if you just let me--”

“Sorry Tyler, but we can’t let you do that.”

“Fight, Josh!” Tyler is screaming. “Fight!”

Josh hears cracking, more screaming, electricity buzzing. He thinks his ears are bleeding.

_Fight. Fight. Fight._

He wants to live.

And so he does.

-

“What should we do with the body?”

“Dispose of it. I can’t find anything about him in the databases. I don’t think it will be missed.”

“Was the android its only friend?”

“It appears so.”

A sigh. “Are you sure it’s deceased? Maybe we should do a scan, just in case.”

“No need. Look at its arm. No way it’s still alive.”

“Alright, I’ll let Mark know.”

 _Mark,_ Josh thinks. The leader? Was he the one with kind eyes? Maybe he could reason with Mark.

He waits until the footsteps disappear before rolling onto his side. Josh groans. His arm hurts badly, and it looks bad, too. From his shoulder down to his fingertips, his arm is a thick black. It seems as if he could break his fingers off one by one if he desired.

They have military grade weapons. These were used in war to stop the opposing team from retreating or advancing, depending on the circumstances. How long had they been down here?

Quickly, Josh scans the room. His brain pounds against his skull and his vision still floods with black spots, but they don’t stop him from finding Tyler in the back corner, his gaze empty. Josh himself is strewn across the floor, but no longer in a cell. He uses his good arm to push himself off the ground and limps over to the android he had fallen in love with.

Josh trips, his chin hitting the ground. Blood flows onto Tyler’s -- his -- shoes.

“Hey,” he coughs out, using all his strength to push himself back up. He leans on his knees. “Tyler. Can you hear me?”

Tyler does not move. He has his arm back, but android blood still stains his skin and clothes.

“C’mon, Ty. I know you’re in there.” Josh reaches for the wall and struggles to stand up. Everything hurts. “Tyler, please.”

“Awaiting registration,” Tyler says. Josh stops trying to stand and lets his back thump against the cool stones.

“Tyler?”

“Awaiting registration,” he repeats.

What had his sister said that first night? Josh scans his brain. _Come on._

“Register android. Name, Tyler.”

His eyes light up. “Hello, I am Tyler. How may I assist you today?”

“Fuck!” Josh screams, no longer caring about the others. “No, Ty, you gotta remember. What did you guys do to him?”

He isn’t sure what hurts more, his arm or the fact that Tyler has forgotten about him.

Josh forces himself to stand up, grunting as his fingernails dig into the brick. He grabs Tyler’s shoulder. “Come on, Ty. Remember? Metaphors. Remember the metaphors?”

“Would you like me to put that into your reminders?” Josh feels like sobbing, but he wills himself to be strong.

“No, Tyler, listen to me. You’re more than just a personal assistant. You’re a _person,_ Tyler. And I love you. We love each other.”

“I’m sorry sir, but I am incapable of love. Androids do not feel emotions.”

“Yes you do, Tyler. You do. Come on. You said you’d never forget me. You have to keep your promises, Tyler. You said you wouldn’t let them hurt me.” Footsteps echo in the corridors. The others are coming for him.

Josh leans his weight on Tyler’s side. “You said you weren’t a slave. You aren’t a prisoner. Tyler, please. Please remember me.” His tears are falling now. “Please remember me. Please remember me.”

“If you recently reset me, I am unable to retain my old memories. Please repeat any information I may need to know.”

Two androids pull Josh off of him, pulling both his arms behind his back. Josh shouts in pain, his eyes wet. “I’m Joshua Dun!” He screams. “I’m from Columbus, Ohio. You saved me! Remember? You saved me!” They begin to drag him out of the room, Josh fighting their every step. “I’m Joshua Dun, and I love you!”

“Save it, kid,” one hisses. Josh ignores him.

“You are more than a machine, Tyler. Remember. Remember!”

_Remember Remember Remember Remember Remember Remember Remember._

Josh’s adrenaline fuels him forward as he manages to slip from the android’s grasp and presses a kiss to Tyler’s nose. He continues to scream as the others pull him out of the room.

-

Morning comes. Josh is nothing, and yet everything. He does not feel, yet he feels everything. He fears the darkness has won. Tyler is a prisoner once more, to his own people rather than humans. What did these androids think they were accomplishing with this? Did they hate Josh that much that they felt the need to remove him from Tyler’s memory?

Josh did nothing wrong. He only desired freedom, wanted freedom for Tyler, the freedom they did not get within Columbus. Was this karma for wanting to take his own life? Was this karma for how he treated Tyler at first?

It was the darkness he was scared of, so why in the morning was he fearing for his life?

Did androids go to heaven? Or would Josh be alone forever?

Was there a heaven?

A light turns on. It’s bright and vivid, but he doesn’t feel like he’s in the room with it. Was he dead? Was this an out of body experience?

Josh didn’t care where he ended up, as long as Tyler was with him. Christ. His life had gone so wrong after being so _right_ for _so little time._

Maybe it was karma. He was taking in the sins of humanity for treating these people like garbage. It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t fair.

“Is he stable?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should get him to a hospital--”

“Wait. Just, just wait. Hold on.”

He only feels confusion, but Josh assumes it’s better than fear, or pain. In fact, the pain is gone.

“His heart is still beating.” Josh can only make out the silhouettes of the people in the room with him. “He’s fighting.”

“We’ve never done this before. You turned a lot of heads, you know.”

A pause. “We do wild things for the ones we love.”

“I don’t think many of us fully understand the capacity of the word ‘love.’ You showed us today, and we appreciate it.”

“He told me to remember, and I... I just did. It was like... I passed through this veil, and all I could see was him screaming for me. It was... I snapped.”

“You didn’t snap when you went rogue?”

“No. It was a gradual thing that he showed me too.” A sigh. “He was broken when I was given to him. His family wanted me to do things for him because they were tired of doing it themselves. And he... even though I was under protocol, I had sympathy for him. It was something I never felt before.” The figure turns its head. “He told me he wanted to die, that he had tried to kill himself, and my sympathy grew. How ironic that a machine who so desperately wanted to be alive was assigned to a human who so desperately wanted to be a machine?”

“He seemed to have gotten his wish, though.” Are they talking about him? Josh doesn’t feel his own body, only his soul. His soul stays near the ceiling. “I’m sorry. We were selfish and bitter. We did terrible things.”

“I understand. I think Josh will understand too. He’s compassionate, and has a big heart.”

“He said he would give his life for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He sat there with a gun to his head and begged us to save you. He didn’t hesitate. I think... I think that is where I began to understand love.”

“Josh says it’s more than a feeling, that you _know_ when you’ve met the right person.”

“Do you know?”

“Yes. I know.” He turns his head. “They want us to be as human as possible, yet take away our freedom. They don’t want us to feel, nor make our own decisions.”

“And when we see past their coding and protocols and programming, they take us apart. Many of us have fallen.”

“There will be a war, won’t there?”

“Eventually. Liberation requires action. Josh will be safe.”

“The humans might reject him now, too.”

“A small price to pay for a long life.” There is a loud beep, pulling the strangers away from their conversation. Josh is everything, and everywhere, yet nowhere and nothing.

“Wake him up.”

-

His eyes open. Tyler is in front of him and smiles.

“Hello, sleepyhead.”

“Tyler?” Josh lets his head flop against the chair he’s strapped in. “Are you real this time?”

“I’m real. I’m here.” Tyler touches the top of his hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Limitless.”

“Really?” Josh’s eyes are closed, but he nods.

“Am I dead?”

“No, you’re more alive than ever.”

“You remembered me.” Josh feels for Tyler’s fingers until they are mashed together. He never wants to let go ever again. “I thought you were gone.”

“I will never forget you.” He squeezes Josh’s hand. “There were some... casualties, however.”

“Did you fix my arm?” Josh opens his eyes and looks down. His arm looks fine, but his vision seems... wrong. When he looks back up, Tyler is frowning and is now joined by the man with the kind eyes.

“Josh,” he nods politely. “I’m Mark. I apologize that our introduction has been unconventional.”

“I said I wouldn’t hurt you guys. I said I wouldn’t hurt Tyler.”

“We acted irrationally. Many of us are still trying to understand how our feelings work, how they make us act and what they cause us to do. We’ve spent years believing human beings were cruel.”

“I’m not like the others,” Josh mumbles, closing his eyes again. His head aches.

“Tyler has shown us that. And I hope we can forgive us. See, when you were shot-- they were weapons some of our people had stolen from the military base they were stationed in. We wanted to protect ourselves.”

“I assumed so.”

“Because we...” Mark clears his throat and starts over. “Because we waited so long to get you medical help, there are some things you should know.” He leans over to pull the straps off Josh’s forearms, stepping back so Tyler can help him stand up. Josh stumbles a bit but steadies himself with Tyler’s shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

“How many days have passed?”

“Several. We really thought you weren’t going to make it.”

Josh swallows his fear and shuffles forward towards a mirror hanging in the corner of the room. He wonders if these androids have discovered vanity.

Tyler hovers close to him, afraid of Josh hurting himself. Josh looks at him. “I’m okay,” he promises. Tyler nods, and steps back. Josh looks at himself in the mirror.

He has a gash on his forehead. It’s not new, because the blood is crusty and dark red. His jaw and neck are covered in splotchy bruises, and his hair is slicked back with grease. But his eyes... his normal brown eyes...

One is blue.

Josh takes a step back and falls, Tyler there to catch him. He blinks rapidly and tries to figure out what is wrong with his vision. “What did you do?” He asks, choking. “What did you do? What did you do to me?”

“You lost your eye, Josh. We used a bicomponent to replace it. It’s okay, you should still be able to see--”

“M-My eye?” He gasps for air. Tyler seems to recognize him spiraling into a panic attack.

“Count,” he suggests, taking Josh’s hands. Josh stars at their entangled hands and counts to ten over and over again. He knows there is more because Tyler is treading around him with caution.

“What else?”

“You lost your arm, and an ear.”

 _Deep breath._ He counts faster.

“We were able to treat you and make sure everything was connected. Mark has been here with me the whole time making sure you were okay. You are a fighter, Josh. We knew you wanted to live.”

Josh touches his ears. Despite their softness, he can tell one is made of plastic. He sticks his finger in and locates the wires stretching into his head. “Oh my God.”

“Keep counting with me, okay?” Tyler has not blinked. He remains calm and steady. “You’re still human, Josh. You still think, and feel, and breathe and eat.”

Tyler takes his arm, and Josh watches as his artificial veins light up blue just like Tyler’s. It makes him a bit calmer, and he keeps counting. _One, two, three._ Mark opens up a cupboard and approaches them with a glass of watered down blue liquid and a sleeve of Saltines. _Four, five, six._

“One of the others got some food for you. Since you’ve been asleep for a couple of weeks, I suggest starting out slow. And this,” he lifts the cup high, “is android blood. You’ll need it flowing to help with the stiffness of your joints in your biocomponent pieces. I watered it down, hoping it might be a bit easier to drink.”

 _Seven, eight, nine._ “Are you going to be sick?” Tyler asks.

“I’m okay,” Josh lies. _Ten. Ten. Ten._ He takes the glass and downs it like a shot of liquor. Tyler takes the glass from him and sets it to the side while he gags.

“Eat,” Tyler instructs, offering Saltines. Josh takes a few and nibbles cautiously.

“You’ll have both android and human blood inside your system from now on. Make sure to keep that regulated, understand? Or you might possibly lose feeling in those parts.”

“Can you please get him some water, Mark?”

“Of course.” He leaves the room, leaving the two lovers alone. Tyler looks Josh over.

“Be honest with me.”

“I’m so scared,” Josh admits. His mouth is dry after the crackers, but the taste of android blood is still in his mouth. He wonders what android blood actually is. Oil, maybe? Or maybe some other chemical. Either way, there’s a slight possibility that liquid could be put into an automobile.

“You have every right to be scared, but I will be here to help.”

“When I said I wanted to be a machine, I didn’t mean like this.”

“I know.” Tyler smooths down Josh’s hair. “I know. But you fought so hard, Josh. You fought as hard as I did. We wanted to be alive, and so we did.”

“The others hate me.”

“They don’t hate you, they just don’t understand.” He’s still holding Josh’s hands. “Mark is going to help us get somewhere safe. We don’t need to stay.”

“Don’t you want to stay? These are your people.”

Tyler sighs. “I will go wherever you are safe. That’s what you did for me. And here is not safe for you. At least, not right now. Not until they understand that not all humans are bad.”

“There will be a war, Tyler. And then, whose side will you be on?”

He shakes his head. “I will be on the side that respects the both of us, together. I will not let us be separated ever again. I will never forget you ever again.”

“I won’t let you be hurt,” Josh promises. He turns his head towards the door. “Do you think Jenna knew?”

“Knew what?”

“That I would be attacked.”

“No,” Tyler is quick to respond, “she trusted Mark and the others. She’s the one who sent them here, after all. I don’t think she realized how much damage humanity had done to the minds of androids. I think she thought we would both be safe.”

“She is kind,” Josh agrees. “What did she say to you before we left? When you arm turned Avatar blue.”

“She shared her memories with me. Her fear, her confusion, her pain-- and told me to use it for inspiration.”

“Are you inspired?”

Tyler nods. “I am inspired by all walks of life, humans, androids, animals, supernatural entities. But most importantly, I am inspired by you.”

“For a while there, I was content with dying because you were alive. But then I realized I wanted to be alive with you.”

Tyler smiles. “And so you fought.”

“So I fought.”

-

Mark leads them to a small cottage a few more miles off from the gatehouse. It’s abandoned but well kept. There’s a lake in the backyard and dusty furniture in the front room.

Tyler sets their bags on the floor and starts up a fire while Josh stretches on the sofa. Mark hands him his bright red knapsack.

“There’s food and water in here. I think we managed to get you soap too if you’d like to clean yourself. No offense, but you smell worse than humans usually smell.”

Josh laughs. “I’m sure that’s true.”

“Tyler can get in contact with me if you need anything else. You guys can stay here as long as you need to. I think the owners forgot they owned this place. The place is dusty but otherwise fairly clean. Just keep an eye out for wild animals. Oh, and Josh, I would suggest drinking android blood for the next couple of days. I put a bottle inside the bag.”

“Okay,” he says softly. Mark sits down next to him and stares into the rising flames Tyler has managed to stoke out of some fairly dry firewood.

“You get used to it,” he whispers. “I wish I was made up of real limbs, but we deal with what we have because we are no longer slaves. We’re alive.”

“I’m not so worried about the android parts as I am about rusting.”

“Was that a joke?” Mark asks.

“Uh yeah, but I’m not actually going to rust, am I?”

“No. We’re waterproof, and so are your parts. Just try not to die. I do not think we will be able to fix you then.”

“Thank you, Mark, I will try not to die.” They share a smile as Tyler stands up and wipes his hands on his pants.

“Thanks again, Mark.”

“Anything for family.” Mark offers his hand, and Tyler pulls him into a hug. Startled, it takes a few seconds before he wraps his arms around Tyler’s back. When they separate, Mark is still smiling. His eyes flash. “Shall I call when we plan our liberation?”

Tyler firmly nods. “We will both be there.”

“I will see you around, then.” They watch Mark leave, the door slam echoing throughout the dark, empty home. Tyler sits down next to Josh and pulls him close.

“Are you scared?” He asks.

“No,” Josh says. “For the first time in a while, I am not scared.”

Tyler smiles. “I’m not scared either. I see a future for us.”

“How many of those are we happy?”

“I detect over a million ways we will be happy in our future endeavors.”

Josh laughs and scales his hand up Tyler’s body to cup his cheek. It’s with his new arm, but it doesn’t feel any different. And when he does touch Tyler, their skin both lights up blue.

“Different,” Tyler murmurs. “I feel... pleasure.”

Josh trails his fingers across Tyler’s cheekbone, across his nose, behind his ears. Tyler shivers.

“I feel extra sensitive. Like the nerves in your arm are more compatible than previously.”

“My robot arm turns you on?” Josh translates poorly. Tyler shakes his head.

“I didn’t think I could feel pleasure.”

“Then the sex with have tonight is going to blow your mind,” he teases. Tyler bites his lip and presses his hand flat against Josh’s thigh.

“You are okay, then? With all of this.”

“Tyler, as long as I am with you, I am okay.”

Tyler blushes and tilts his head down when Josh kisses his forehead.

“I love you,” Josh says.

“I love you too,” Tyler says back.

-

They make love in the shadows of the living room, the fire sending sweat down their backs. Josh likes to think Tyler is sweating too, although he knows that is probably not the case. The difference, this time, is that they are bound by no chains, but have the freedom to live together as equals. The world they ran away from no longer exists as they twist, and pull, and bend. Tyler makes noises. Josh kisses him. Josh makes noises. Tyler kisses him.

Everything is peaceful. The fires crackles, Tyler’s back arcs. It’s beautiful in the bouncing shadows of the fire, tanned, slick and shiny. Josh is in love with Tyler, and Tyler is in love with Josh. Tyler’s skin glows blue wherever Josh touches him, like constellations in the sky. Josh’s entire arm glows blue with his love for the man in front of him.

Tyler is leaking blue liquid after they’ve finished and Josh has used his boxers to clean himself up. Josh looks over at him, still trying to catch his breath. He reckons he needs some more of that shit Mark gave him because his arm is starting to feel stiff.

“Uh... where is that leaking from?”

“I think... my penis.”

“Your dick?” Josh corrects. Tyler nods. “Oh my God.” Josh laughs. “You _can_ come.”

“Is that good?”

“Do you _feel_ good?”

“Yes.”

Josh smiles. “Yeah, Ty. It’s good. Can you pass me the bag Mark gave us?”

“You need to refuel?”

“Yeah. I think you should too, Mr. Blue Dick.”

Tyler shakes his head, but he’s smiling as he passes the bag over. Josh takes out one of the water bottles filled with watered blue blood and takes a few gulps, gagging afterward before he can pass it over to Tyler. Tyler has no hesitation. He’s used to it.

Josh stands up and stretches, his arm already feeling better. “Shall we shower?”

“Will you wash my hair again?”

He cocks an eyebrow. “You like that, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Of course I will then.” Josh pulls Tyler up and kisses him. The fire is warm against his back. He is calm, collected.

He is okay.

-

In the shower, Josh washes Tyler’s hair and kisses him some more.

They are insignificant.

Insignificant to the rest of the world, hidden by the trees and the darkness. But within the safety of their arms, the safety they’ve created, they are each other’s entire world.

With no plans for each other, their souls fly high.

With no plans for the future, they are _alive._

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me at pastelxmess on Tumblr. Let's talk about Dema and the new album!


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